Handmade is Better!

It was nice to know people care. Have you ever had one of those mass produced products that seem so cold no particular care or attention to detail was given to it? I have experienced it a lot and I just got another one this morning. It was sad because a friend just had given it to me like throwing pillows on a slumber party. It did not have that extra special touch I expected from her. I wanted more.

This afternoon I will be attending a wedding and I was frantic finding a gift for them since it only happens once (ideally and I hope it will be). I will be also shooting a couple since I wanted to cover this special event, she is a good friend. These are times where you want to treat her right, give the best things she wants so she feels special on this day. Coming from a traumatic morning I was hoping to find her something special. Handmade products made with love are perfect for this occasion. I will try to order some on line so I can get them what they really deserve. It's just the right thing to make someone happy and keeping it intimate. This just makes it more special. Fantastic!

Check out AMBER STORE for the best hand made products you can get! It's the best thing since sliced bread! It's a new discovery so if you want to give her the best, get on the site and check them out!

KUMAGCOW FOOD REVIEWS: Dinner at PHO' HOA

It was already 6PM and we were trying to get a fix on where exactly we would eat. We did not agree on anything so I roamed around the the streets of Morato and Timog. I was really urging for something soupy since I was a little tired of eating a lot of meat and starchy food every time. We passed by this restaurant and agreed we need to be comforted by the Vietnamese chain Pho' Hoa.

Photo just outside PHO HOA =)

I've gone to Pho Hoa a couple of times in the SM City North branch and did not enjoy the soup because of the flat leaf parsley (which tastes horrible in my books) but I did not think it was possible to have it removed by just asking them. Well what do you know, it was perfect broth for the beef dish I ordered.

Flank Brisket Tendon Meatballs aka Pho Hoa Soup

Every meal that they serve also have these condiments and additional veggies with it. A bottle of Hoisin Sauce and Chili Sauce was available in every table. Though I didn't opt for that because I wanted to taste the broth more if you know what I mean. Aside from that, I like basil a lot and this was part of the small veggies that came with this bowl of beefy goodness.

Hoisin, Chili, Basil, bean sprouts and a slice of lemon

It was nice to discover that the lemon made a huge difference when I added it to the soup. Mom and Dad liked it too. He even asked for seconds on the soup because he got this:

Chicken Noodle Soup yum o!

See what I mean? The servings of the noodle there was also huge, which was the reason why it was a hefty amount you also have to pay for. Well, whatever it is I think it was worth it. It could have cost a little cheaper and it would be more better. But at that time, I got comforted with it. I was not hungry and found this light meal. It was great, and to top it all here is the one my Dad liked a lot. Feast your eyes on this!

Tofu Steak with Mushroom Sauce

Service a little off, the drink (house iced tea) was nice, parking was ample enough, ambiance was okay but the food was very comforting. I'm rating this 3 out of 5 kumags for getting me there! My chopsticks rested and I could have eaten them all in one sitting though. Until the next food adventure! I'm gonna make this a regular thing so stay tuned!

KUMAGCOW eats PHO HOA!

To Have an IPHONE or Not To Have IPHONE

I have been contemplating on getting an IPHONE these past few days because my handy dandy N6280 is giving me a lot of trouble. The phone book is not working right, groups cannot be arranged and the applications do not even match my lifestyle anymore. I heard phone companies in the US like AT & T are giving great discounts on this handset so I am kind of thinking about this again. Maybe it is time my N6280 retires and get a new one.

I have been reading a couple of reviews about the newest one that they have in stores. This was not in my budget obviously so I really have to think twice or else I might starve myself just to get one this month. I was helping out a friend too in getting a new apartment; he could not afford the one he is staying in. He needs one that is quite close to his work since it's pretty hard for him to travel all the way up to the North where he originally lives. I had to lend him money so he could pay the first few months, so that is where much of the money goes.

I read that there is also a free application you can install and download from the IPHONE APP store to find apartments in the US. It uses state of the art GPS for location-based search technology so it would not be that hard to find one in the millions of apartments and rental homes nationwide. Real photos and notes on the property can also be seen. Check this out!

It also has the ability to share listings on FACEBOOK so even your friends can recommend or get one themselves. This is awesome software and I kind of need it now so I'll download them right after I purchase my new IPHONE next week from http://www.mynewplace.com/iphone. I have seen some apartments in my part of town but they were a little off the budget, so I might need the help of modern technology and a little luck for my friend so he can move in earlier.

This is so cool! I will keep a copy and download MyNewPlace in the iPhone app store. You should do that too!

My Laguna Photowalk with D60KREW

So there you go, I've got more but it would not really be good for the site since it would crawl a lot if I did put more of it here. Maybe soon I'll put the direct link for my photos here so you can all get to see em. Here's the KREW by the way:

From R-L: jake francis vince alex xander joseph Harvie kris Me carlo cid ray bangge me roy bambit olee Glenn
Group Hug PIC courtesy of Ms. Bambit

Along with my obsession with photography comes the arduous task of editing and post processing of all the shots I made in the Laguna photo walk with the D60 KREW. This was one awesome trip but I am still sick from it now but I don't regret the decision to come and enjoy my time with them. I got some of my pictures which I would like to show you now. Maybe it will load a little slow but bear with me alright?

This was taken on a fountain inside the premises of the Pila Laguna Church. It was floating on the second level I kinda pushed it in the water before I took a photo of it. Nice huh?!

This was taken inside the garden of the Rizal Shrine. They say that most of the plants and trees they planted there are all based on the former ones that existed in Rizal's time. I was a little disappointed about the shrine's color (they painted it green) but this Gumamela flower just POP in this scene. I've kinda been good at MACRO shots but never insisted going this path. Maybe soon when I get the hang of it I'll probably pursue it. But for now I like Glamor/Fashion and portrait shots more.

This is an untouched photo taken inside the Pila Laguna Church, it was raining outside so we were all trapped taking pics inside the church. I used flash but it kinda bounced off the gate where this was, it resulted into a nice shadow effect.

This was the church in Liliw Laguna where only a couple of us took shots. We were hurried by the other KREW so we kinda only took a few.

This was inside the garden of the Rizal Shrine. This was usually the place where Rizal and his siblings played during the day. It seems they were pretty well off at that time. Their stuff were kinda neat for an old family.